M1:438 — گر جسد خانه‌یْ حسد باشد ولیک / آن جسد را پاک کرد الله نیک

Translation: Though the body be the house of envy, yet God has purified that body well. Meaning: This verse suggests that despite the human inclination towards envy (hasad), God possesses the power to cleanse and purify the human body and being from such defilements, transforming it into a worthy dwelling for divine realities.

This verse by Mowlana, like many of his teachings, contains profound layers of meaning that alter our perception of worldly phenomena. Here, Mowlana addresses the topic of envy (hasad) and establishes a subtle distinction between two perspectives or levels of understanding this vice, which I refer to as the 'first-level gaze' and the 'second-level gaze.'

1. The First-Level Gaze: Envy as an Ethical Vice: From the first perspective, which is ethical and instructional, envy is unequivocally a vice, an undesirable and inappropriate trait. As I've explained previously, envy is a product of narcissism, excessive desire (ziyādat-khāhī), and ill-will (bad-khāhī). The Holy Quran itself, in Surat al-Falaq, seeks refuge in God from "the evil of the envious when he envies." From this viewpoint, our human duty is to avoid envy and purify the soul of it. God has also granted us the power to cleanse this body, which can be the abode of envy, through spiritual struggle (mujāhadat).

2. The Second-Level Gaze: Envy as a Pillar of the Cosmic Order: However, Mowlana, like other great mystics, possesses a higher and more comprehensive view of the world—a perspective that can be described as being 'from God's vantage point.' In this gaze, envy, along with avarice (hirs) and heedlessness (ghaflat), is not merely a side effect but a fundamental pillar in the administration of this world. In the cosmic order, the stability of many affairs is, paradoxically, dependent on the existence of these very vices. Mowlana eloquently expounds this meaning elsewhere (Mathnawi, Book III, verses 3085–3088): So the pillar of this world is heedlessness itself; Awareness is a bane to this world. From that world, a slight emanation arrives So that greed and envy may not depart from this world. If the emanation from the Unseen becomes greater, Neither virtue nor vice will remain in this world. These verses confirm, without a doubt, that if heedlessness, greed, and envy were to vanish from the world, and absolute awareness from 'that world' were to dominate this one, the current order of life would be utterly transformed. The present world, with all its contradictions, rests upon these very pillars.

3. The Dual Function of Envy: For this reason, sometimes envy itself can even be a source of good, as Hafez says: Be not sorrowful, O heart, at the envious one's taunt; Perhaps, when you truly see, your good lies in this. (Hafez) This mystical perspective, while emphasizing the ethical repugnance of envy, also points to its ontological and sometimes constructive role within the fabric of this world. Just as fire keeps the capitalist bathhouse warm, even though it is itself burning, envy sometimes acts as the water heater of this world's system.

Therefore, this verse, while inviting purity and refinement (the first-level gaze), also contains the profound philosophy that God, in the overall administration of the cosmos, utilizes all its components—even those that appear undesirable at first glance—to manage this world (the second-level gaze). This body, as a being in this world, can be afflicted by envy, yet, by divine grace and providence, it also possesses the capacity for purity and sanctification to become a dwelling place for light and meaning: "a treasure of light is within its earthy talisman."

Key takeaways

• Dual Perspective on Vices: Mowlana distinguishes between the ethical judgment (envy is bad) and the ontological role (envy is a pillar of the world's administration).
• Divine Purification: Despite the inherent human inclination towards envy, God is capable of purifying the soul and body.
• The Role of Heedlessness: The current world order is sustained by heedlessness and the existence of certain vices; complete awareness would disrupt the present order.
• Determinism and Free Will: This ontological perspective does not negate individual free will in self-purification, but rather points to the complex nature of the overall cosmic system.
• Paradoxical Function: Sometimes, even envy can inadvertently be a source of good and play a role in the stability of affairs.